“I’ve been a financial planner for almost 21 years. I’ve been in this location (960 N. Roosevelt Dr.) about 15 years. I got a business degree at Portland State and then my CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation.”

What area you would consider your specialty?

“As a financial planner, I’m mainly implementing investments for clients. I also do holistic planning. A lot of times it’s talking about how to invest, but also what are we investing for. It’s setting goals and retirement planning, that sort of thing. I think that’s my specialty.”

How does the investment planning process work?

“Usually they know they need financial planning and it’s about how do they get from ‘point A to point B’. I come in and talk about what investments might be appropriate, maybe talk about how we can incorporate their accountant into the picture and how they might bring in their attorney to the legal end of it. I try to help them implement the investments. I act as a financial quarterback in a sense.”

How’s business been? Have you been seeing more customers/investments?

“It’s been really busy. Markets have been kind lately. After 21 years in business, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m almost full (ha-ha). I’m not necessarily taking on new clients right now.”

Has the recent success of the stock market stoked interest?

“I think it has. It’s interesting. When the markets are down a lot, it stokes interest. When markets are up a lot, it stokes interest. When they’re not doing so much, they lose their appeal I suppose. I’ve found it’s really busy lately just because of the market conditions.”

Has there been concern or optimism from customers regarding the recent changes to federal tax legislation?

“Yes, and I think the million dollar question is ‘How does it affect me?’ I’m starting to see there’s going to be a big benefit for corporations because the corporate (tax) rates are going down. I think initially there are middle class concerns that their itemized deductions are going away. I think it’s going to impact people in a more positive way but it’s hard to say. I’ve had the same questions with my accountant. There’s a feel and a euphoria that the new taxation is going to benefit big business and potentially that will increase jobs and the economy and I think that’s part of the reason the market has gone up this year. There’s concern that whenever there is a large rally in the market when it will go down again. Normal movement in the market is several up years and several down years. I’m not predicting there will be a downturn, but eventually we’ll have one. Some people are looking back to 1986 and saying ‘Trickle down economics didn’t work.’ It depends who you talk to. That’s what remains to be seen, the impact of this.”